Year and years ago teenage cousins were asked to help serve the bridal table. You know go for coffee refills and fetch extra napkins and make sure everyone had what they needed. At our wedding the "waitresses" were my cousins; Diane, Vickie and Max short for Maxine although most of the time we called her Zeeny.
In fact it took a village/lots of cousins to have a wedding reception in the church. Far Guy had some cousins that helped out also and probably wore the pretty little aprons!
I think 400 people is a stretch...but there were lots of people on that cold December day.
Note: 50 years ago all the women that were married are a Mrs somebody...if you are married you lost your first name.
Far Side
Update From Sharon: Yes Connie, you did have ice cream and I was so nervous serving it because there were so many people!
Update from Bonnie: I remember serving coffee on a fancy china plate☕️.
Weddings sure were different back in the day. They were a family affair. My mother and grandmother made everything at mine, the dress, the food, the cake, the decorations. It wasn't fancy but I have such wonderful memories of all of us working together. Even the neighbors came over to help my mom sew my dress for my Valentine's Day wedding. We even had some snow that night.
ReplyDeleteTimes sure have changed since back then. Now alone the size of a house mortgage are taken out to pay for the extravaganzas only to see the matting fail in about five years. That apron is gorgeous and a wonderful memory of better and more wonderful times.
ReplyDeleteI have a celebratory apron that I use when I cook on Thanksgiving. It's not pretty like that one, though. Much more utilitarian. Yes, that wedding sounds like it was a fun event, filled with family and friends. :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! My girl friend was a member of a very large family of cousins and I was often recruited to "serve" with her at family weddings. I remember your "gift" for serving was the lovely apron that you wore for the "serving".
ReplyDeleteWedding receptions sure have changed. My reception at the Country Club (fancy) was ham sandwiches, potato salad, a relish tray with wedding cake and those tiny mints on the table. Nowadays I feel like I am dining at a four star restaurant and just wonder who is paying for all the extravagant food!
What fun memories!! We wore those fancy little aprons when serving at our church supper. Mine had a tiny red ribbon bow on the pocket, and I'm guessing my mother probably made it.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary - in case I missed the actual day! Such fun memories for you and your spouse. Yes, we lost our first names... I still catch myself saying, "This is Mrs. Leland ………." Dang it!
ReplyDeleteI recall my mom saying that she wanted her own identity; she was Mrs. Eber H, or so and so's mom, but never just Betty. Now it's more likely a woman will keep her name (my SIL), or hyphenate it. One of my former co-workers, a man, took his wife's name and hyphenated it with his own. Hmmm...they've recently divorced so I'm not sure what he's done since then.
ReplyDeleteIn any event, the apron is very pretty! I recall seeing wedding announcements like yours in my town newspaper. They were often accompanied with a photo. :)
Happy Anniversary. It was enjoyable to read the wedding memories.
ReplyDeleteI prefer those simpler days.
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary to you two. :)
Both of my sisters had reception at the church, and the articles in the paper were very similar to yours - everyone who helped at the wedding was listed. Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary. Ours is coming soon. I always marvel how close our lives mirror, although, you are a wee bit younger than I we share so much. :)
ReplyDeleteThat wedding apron must have been a real joy to iron! I remember my grandmas and great aunts all had special aprons for holidays, and my mom, too. The great aunts and grandmas also had every day aprons but my mom never wore one for everyday. My Norwegian grandma always kept a clean apron hanging behind the kitchen door to grab if someone came to the door. I guess she must have been a messy cook!
ReplyDeletePS. Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteI remember reading those long descriptions of weddings years ago. I guess I probably had one too, to a degree. We had about 100 people, just a best man (Larry's brother). maid of honour (my sister) and a flower girl. Most of the guests were Larry's relatives, as I only had my sister and parents in this country. A simple wedding. My mum made the cake, I made my dress, my sister wore her grad dress, the best man was the photographer. I obviously didn't have cousins serving anything, and none of Larry's did either. We had a home style caterer. Fun to read about yours!
ReplyDeleteFriends and family make those occasions special. Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDelete"Fifty " years ago must mean that this is your anniversary? Happy anniversary.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! Yes I remember some receptions like this, though I never had ice cream! :) Wonderful that you still have mementos of your wedding day!
ReplyDeleteWhen I got married 35yrs ago my mum & nan did everything I had bugga all say in matters
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary!!
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of being Mrs. so-and-so I am old enough now to wish young clerks/waitresses etc.. would call me Mrs. so-and-so rather than by my first name or worse yet refer to my husband and myself as "you guys". Come on. At the very least it should be "you folks".
I So agree!
DeleteI love being referred to as "Mrs." To me it was an honor to take his name. I have a white lacy, frilly apron that I wore as a teenager to help serve at lots and lots of weddings in the small town in Iowa I grew up in. It's living in my cedar chest now. I loved reading the announcement and recall reading many like it years ago. I think something is lost in the impersonal extravaganzas we go to these days.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
Wonderful memories ,makes me think of ours in 1977.
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool.....seeing your old newspaper clippings about your wedding. What fun to hear and hear all about it. Now I'm waiting to hear if you really did have ice cream! Have a great week before Christmas, you two!
ReplyDeleteYou're Anniversary is the 20th right! Wow it was so neat to see the old clippings of your Wedding! Yes Connie, you did have ice cream and I was so nervous serving it because there were so many people! I don't remember the white aprons and had forgotten that Connie Olson was at the guest table! It was an exciting day for all and I hope you get to Celebrate this big one coming up!
ReplyDeleteOOPS!!! Sharon
DeleteHam on buns! We joke about our wedding offerings. but My wife and I were the ones paying for it since we were blue collar families, and her mother wanted "better" for her daughter. And our cake was a disaserous disappointment! No cousins "worked the tables" at our wedding. In fact, we had no catering at all.. totally self serve. Talk about a budget wedding! Still, I was just happy it was finally over and still wish we had just eloped. Cheaper! and would not have had to disappoint any family members. ( Still married 23 years!)
ReplyDeleteI think Sharon just gave away what I was wondering about. I love hearing about other weddings back in the old days, like mine, where we didn't put on big sit down dinners and parties with bands and dancing, but had receptions in the church hall. The actual wedding was the feature, and family was heavily involved.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful family-oriented event! And the best bonus: you two got married! Congratulations on 50 years! Impressive!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary. My sister and I were talking about a friend of ours from our hometown who married in the late 1960's. The friend PROUDLY began to call herself Mrs. Larry Garmon, with the mrs. pronounced "mis us rus" in her southern accent!!! lol
ReplyDeleteYou sure have some interesting memories that you are finding! Our wedding ceremony was on done on mules! Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteSuch a formal wedding! Congratulations on 50 years together!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 50 years!!! What a lovely wedding but ice cream in cold December? Brrrr!
ReplyDeleteAll weddings used to be I guess they now call "formal" -- Happy 50 years!
ReplyDelete